The Match - A Rocky Inspiration
by TeamChaotixStories
Summary: Zavok, an uninvited guest, comes into Vector's home town in hopes to hunt down Sonic the Hedgehog. Vector doesn't approve of this and places a bet between him and Zavok. The bet requires both to participate in a boxing match. The loser leaves forever and the winner stays. Was that a safe bet?
1. Author's Note

Author's Note

Before I wrote the fighting chapter, I did some research about Zavok and I found out that he is WAY smaller than I expected. Vector is nearly (or over) twice as big as him according to the internet. Because of the huge difference in weight and height between the two, I decided to make Zavok bigger and make Vector a little smaller. So, this is just a heads up. This is a fanfiction, so not everything is accurate.


	2. Just a Local Boxer

Six Years Ago

Local Boxing Gymnasium

9:30 AM

"Nine, Ten. You're out."

Ricky, who was also the gym owner, stood up and walked out of the ring. He was the referee who took part in the fight.

"I'm gonna head on home. You guys better leave soon as well."

Everyone else in the gym soon stood up and started to walk to the locker room

Eighteen-year-old Vector stood in the ring with his opponent getting up.

"Nice one, Vector," A friend called.

"Thanks," He replied.

Vector wasn't heartless, so he helped his rival stand upright again.

"Hey, you're a pretty good fighter. If you practice more and more every day, you'll definitely be better than you already are."

"Thanks, man. I guess I just underestimated you."

The rival walked out of the ring while Vector stood at the corner. After taking off his gloves, he looked around himself. The empty gym, the moon's light shining in some windows, the tiny amount of blood on the ring. As much as he loved boxing, he also had a life with Espio and Charmy.

Speaking of his life, the Chaotix Detective Agency lacked money and cases. Vector started to lose hope and that's why he decided to box because there was nothing left to do back at home.

Vector thought back at what he said earlier.

"If you practice more and more every day, you'll be better than you already are."

He sighed.

"I wish I could think that way about my job."

As the blood on his cut slowly leaked, Vector stood there thinking about what he'll do later and how he'll improve his job as a detective.

"You comin', Vector?"

He turned his head to Ricky.

"Gym's closin'."

He walked out of the ring and went to the locker room.

"Sorry. I was thinkin' about somethin' for a while."

Closing his locker door, Vector was among the last to leave the gym. With his gloves on his shoulder and headphones in hand, he left the locker room.

"See ya tomorrow."

"You too. Gym's gonna be open all day."

As Vector turned away from the gym, he turned on his headphones and played a random track.

[Queen - The Invisible Man]

As music exited Vector's headphones, he soon disappeared into the night.

"I'm the invisible man,

I'm the invisible man,

Incredible how you can

See right through me."

As a rock fan, Vector enjoys Queen. A large portion of his saved rock music is by Queen.

Vector almost never leaves his music left behind. Most of the time, his headphones are placed on his head. He only takes it off when he needs to.

Everything was dark except for the street lights shining down on the sidewalk and everything around it. The moon was full and the winds were soft.

Entering the more quiet part of town, Vector eventually got to his office building. He stopped to shut off his music and continued. He unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Vector!"

He looked down at four-year-old Charmy. The young bee was happy to see him back home.

"Hey, little guy," Vector knelt down. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing," Charmy replied.

The crocodile stood up and looked in the hallway.

"Yo, Espio!"

The chameleon soon stepped out of his meditation room and entered the main room.

"Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"It was a quiet day, as usual," Espio answered.

Vector walked to his desk and sat down.

"You had a fight today."

He looked at Espio.

"Yeah."

"How was it?"

"Got a Knockout."

Charmy, being the little bee he was, looked at Vector's boxing gloves with astonishment. He picked them up and wore them. Obviously, they were too big and nearly weighed him down.

"Careful, Charmy," Espio called.

"These are heavy! How do you wear these, Vector?"

He looked down at the bee.

"It's easy when you're older, Charmy."

Espio took the gloves from Charmy and placed them next to Vector's desk.

"Awww."

"I think it's bedtime, Charmy."

As Espio walked Charmy to his bedroom, the bee complained about not wanting to sleep.

Vector, who wanted to make his boredom vanish, started looking through his desk.

"There's gotta be somethin' in here," He muttered.

On the third drawer of the desk, Vector found a pile of pictures.

"What's this? Don't remember this bein' here."

As he took off the rubber band holding the photos together, he started to look at each one. They were rather old, dating to when he was a teenager.

Some of them were with Mighty. Some with the first days of the Detective Agency.

But there was one in particular from the rest.

The photo depicted him and a friend, who was also a boxer.

"Pete."

Vector stared at the photo for a long time. Pete was his friend since they were kids. Pete was three years older, but their age didn't affect their friendship. He was also a very good boxer and frequently won matches against other boxers from other towns.

Unfortunately, when Vector was seventeen, Pete was killed in the ring. His opponent had been very brutal and did not hold back.

Seeing his friend brought back terrible memories. Vector had tried to forget everything, but it now seems impossible.

"Vector."

He looked up to see Espio standing in front of the hallway.

"I think it's past out bedtime now."

Vector looked at a nearby clock.

"Yeah, you're right," Vector said as he placed the pictures back into the desk.

Getting up from his desk, he walked into the dark hallway.

"Good night, Espio."

"Good night."

Two years later

As time went on, multiple things changed. Charmy got more annoying, the Detective Agency had gotten cases more frequently, and Vector started to talk to Vanilla.

However, Espio had heard that the notorious Zavok had come to town for unknown reasons.

"Zavok, huh? Ain't he the Deadly Six leader?"

"Honestly, I do not remember," Espio answered. "Nobody knows why he's here. We're not even sure if he's actually here."

"Zavok..."

As much as he thought about it, Vector could not remember him in person.

"I feel like I'm supposed to know him for somethin' he did."

Espio looked at Vector.

"What do you mean?"

"Zavok did something a few years ago that left me scarred..."

"...but I don't remember what."

"How about I try to help you remember?"

"You can try."

Espio thought long and hard.

"Was it towards you?"

"No."

"A relative?"

"Nope."

"A friend?"

Vector's eyes flashed.

"Bingo! It was a friend."

"Ok, he did something to your friend. Did he hurt him physically?"

Vector froze. Hurt. It all came to him now.

"Espio..."

"What is it?"

It was silent for quite some time.

"Zavok... killed my friend, Pete."

"Pete? The boxer?"

"Yeah..."

Vector looked down at his hands.

"I'm sorry that had to happen," Espio comforted.

Then, Vector remembered the pictures.

"Espio, I want you to see somethin'."

Espio took a few steps toward the crocodile.

Vector opened the desk cabinet and scrambled through all of the papers in the way to grab pictures in the back.

He flipped through the majority of the photos and found the portrait of him and Pete.

Espio observed the picture.

"When was this taken?"

"Three years ago. I believe this was his last time in the ring. I don't think Zavok is in this picture."

Vector lowered the picture down on the table. Observing the crocodile, Espio saw that Vector was in the middle of thinking. Vector then turned to Espio.

"I've never thought of this before, Espio, but since Zavok is here..."

"...maybe it's time for revenge."

He stood up and grabbed his black jacket.

"Vector, be careful with this decision. Zavok has a great amount of strength, and he also may be trouble."

Vector walked to the door, but before he could open it, he turned back again.

"Espio, let me tell ya somethin'. What do you think is better? Power or determination?"

Espio thought about Vector's question.

"You comin', or what?"

Espio shook his head. He decided not to follow Vector.

"Where are you going? The gym?"

"Yeah. Might as well catch up with anythin' goin' on with this whole Zavok thing. See ya later."

The door closed before Espio could ask how Vector would call out Zavok. In fact, the ninja had multiple questions and concerns.

"I hope he knows what he's doing."

Local Boxing Gymnasium

Vector walked into the gym to see everyone talking to each other.

"Yo, Vector!" Someone in the crowd called.

"What's up?" Vector asked.

"Nothin' much besides Zavok being in town."

"Do y'all know anything about why he's here?"

"Nope."

"Didn't Zavok kill one of ours in the ring?"

Vector overheard that question and soon everyone looked at Vector, knowing the boxer that died was one of his friends.

"Yeah, unfortunately. Pete."

"So sorry, man."

"It's alright. I've gotten over it."

But not really. Vector began to feel bad whenever he thought about it.

He felt like he could've stopped the fight.

"Zavok is coming! Zavok is coming here!"

Everyone in the gym turned to a young teenager who just opened the door.

"What?!"

"How do you know?"

"You better now be lyin'!"

"Where is he?"

"We're screwed!"

Multiple conversations ignited from the boy's message.

Vector looked at the boy.

"Hey, how do you know this?"

He then started to explain that he had seen Zavok along with some allies discussing their plan to visit the gym.

"You better run off now. He's very dangerous. Thank you for tellin' us."

The boy nodded and soon disappeared into the distance.

The gym was still flooded with uproar until the door suddenly opened. Everyone had shut up to see who was near the entrance.

There, peering inside the gym, was Zavok. He was accompanied by two allies who were close to his size.

"Stay here," He quietly demanded.

Zavok took slow steps and then stopped. He stared at everyone with a look of disgust.

"Why are you here?" Ricky asked.

The Zeti turned to the gym owner.

"We are here to hunt down Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Well, he's not here, so beat it."

Soon, the crowd stared at the gym owner in shock.

"You've got nerve to speak like that. A tongue like that might have serious consequences."

"Why you even here if Sonic beat you fair and square?" An anonymous individual asked.

Soon, the crowd started agreeing with that question.

"Silence!"

The mixed conversations had died off in a matter of seconds.

"I'm not just going to give up after one fight. I'm seeking a successful revenge."

"And if any of you or the rest of these citizens don't cooperate, then the city will be held under control by the Deadly Six and Dr. Eggman."

"Oh, no you won't."

Zavok looked at Vector, who had stepped up from the crowd.

"Well, what do we have here. You're a friend of Pete, aren't you?"

Vector stared into Zavok's eyes.

"It's a shame he had to go down like that in the ring. Maybe someone could've stopped the fight."

Hearing that made Vector growl. He had enough of Zavok already. But then, he got an idea.

"How about we make a bet to settle all of this havoc? You're on the hunt for Sonic and also coming here without our consent, so maybe we'll settle this the right way," Vector planned.

Zavok actually seemed to like this idea.

"Go on."

"You're a challengin' boxer, aren't ya? Let's have a match of twelve rounds. The winner gets to do whatever they please. The loser, however, has to leave and never come back."

The gym was quiet. However, some of the boxers agreed or disagreed with Vector's bet.

Zavok, after thinking for quite some time, finally gave in.

"Deal."

Zavok then roughly shook Vector's hand. He leaned in and looked him in the eyes.

"You don't know what you just did to yourself."

Vector, who wasn't affected by Zavok's threat, stared back into his eyes.

"Your confidence is your downfall."

Zavok stepped back and crossed his arms.

"It is done. Vector the Crocodile will challenge me to a match at the Station Square Boxing Stadium in five days. The winner will do whatever they want. The loser will leave the city..."

"...and never come back." He then chuckled.

Zavok and his allies then left the building.

Everyone didn't know what to say or do. Their state of shock was too much.

"Five days," Vector said.

"Vector," Someone spoke out, "do you know if you're going to win that bet?"

"Think about it. Vector is one of our best this city's got to offer."

Vector just smiled modestly.

"I'm not the best here. C'mon. I bet at least one person can beat me in a match."

Everyone just looked at each other knowing Vector was wrong.

"Well," Ricky sighed, "I think it's time for your training, Vector, to turn up a notch."

Vector grinned.

"Let's do it."

"That punk, Vector, will not stand a chance against me in the ring. He'll fall down just like his weak friend, Pete."

Zavok then turned to one of his comrades.

"Put those mitts on. I just want to test my strength."

Zavok didn't put any hand wraps on, for he was too impatient for anything at the moment.

His friend held up his hand while making a stance.

"This is for that crocodile."

Zavok cocked his arm back and sent it flying forward into the mitt. The power of his punch sent his friend flying back, almost falling.

"I don't need training," Zavok snickered. "I could care less since this is a guaranteed win for me."

His friend put down his mitt nervously and walked behind Zavok.

"I'll just wait until those five days are over. Those will be Vector's last days of his boxing career."


	3. Training

Day 1

Hours into the day, Vector got busy training for his planned match with Zavok. However, as he repeatedly hit the speedball, he started to think about his bet.

"The loser leaves and never comes back," He muttered. "Ain't gonna happen to me."

But his brain said otherwise.

"Hey, Vector!"

Vector stopped hitting the speedball to see two of his fellow boxers and a punching bag.

"You think you can give this punchin' bag your best?"

"Sure."

Vector walked to the bag and was about to punch when one of his friends interrupted.

"Pretend it's Zavok."

This changed the way Vector thought about everything. Instead of the regular red punching bag, he saw the villainous Zavok, waiting for his chance to defeat his opponent.

Vector let out a soft growl and cocked his arm. He then released one of his most furious punches at the bag. The bag went back with such a force that the friend holding it took a step back.

"Woah!"

After realizing what he just did, Vector snapped out of it and no longer saw Zavok.

"Never thought you could hit a punch that hard, Vector! We should find your psi!"

"N-no," Vector insisted. "That's okay. I'll never hit a punch like that again."

"But that was amazing! That Zavok won't stand a chance!"

Vector appreciated the positive effect his friends were making, but he knew Zavok wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Keep it up, Vector!"

"Thanks."

After that, Vector couldn't concentrate on his training. He messed up on his speedball over and over again and later took a seat.

"I must be really focused on defeatin' that red fool, ain't I?"

He looked at the locker room and stepped up from his seat.

Minutes later, he stepped out with his belongings and walked towards the door.

"I'm leavin' early today, but I'll make sure tomorrow will be better," Vector told Ricky.

"Alright, Vector. See you tomorrow."

Taking a few steps away from the boxing gym exit, Vector stopped to feel his head. Then, he continued on his way.

6:00 PM

Even though the time he spent felt short, Vector was actually at the gym until six. He wasn't even tired.

As he got to the front of the office, he unlocked and opened the door.

"Hey, Espio! Vector's back!"

Vector closed the door and put his things aside. Charmy had been sitting on the couch with nothing to do while Espio walked out of his meditation room.

"How was it?" Espio asked.

Vector struggled to answer, since he really didn't want Espio to know about his bet.

"Uhhh, great!"

The ninja's eyebrow lifted.

"It was alright," Vector answered again. "Just had to train for a while."

Hearing the word train made Espio's eyes widen.

"Train?"

Vector's eyes widened, too.

"Uh, I meant just for fun! Y'know, just to make sure I don't get rusty."

Espio didn't know what to think anymore, but he wanted to get his answer properly.

"Spit it out, Vector. What's going on?"

"Spit what out?" Vector asked, breaking a sweat.

"I want my answer. How was it and what happened?"

Vector shut his mouth. He wanted to prevent Espio from his dilemma about Zavok, but knowing Espio, he would probably already know.

"Alright. Since you won't answer for me I guess I have to answer for myself. Hmm, let me guess: you got yourself a big fight in a few days?"

At this point, Vector just gave up.

"Yeah."

"There you go. Was it really that hard?"

Vector didn't say anything.

"Your big fight is with Zavok, isn't it?"

"No."

"I've cracked it," Espio said triumphantly.

Vector groaned.

"C'mon! The one thing I suck at is keepin' a lie and you know that!"

Espio chuckled.

"So is this whole fight for fun?"

"Well, Zavok entered the gym and asked for a fight and I decided to fight him. He's givin' me five days to train, startin' now."

"Now, Vector, tell me something: do you think Zavok is an easy fight?"

"Of course not, Espio. He's Zavok. He's never goin' to have mercy on anyone."

Hearing all of this, Charmy had never been so confused.

"Who's Zavok?"

Espio and Vector both looked at the bee.

"Charmy, remember when Sonic went after this group called the Deadly Six?" Espio asked.

"Mhm."

"Zavok is one of them. In fact, he is the leader of the Deadly Six. I don't know if he still is, though."

"Oh, that guy? And Vector's fighting him?"

"Yep," Vector chuckled.

His chuckle made him hide his worry. Vector wasn't sure if he was going to keep his town safe from his risky bet.

"Anyway, I think it's time for me to relax for now. I need to get some rest for tomorrow mornin'."

"Ok, Vector," Charmy said.

Espio still kept his suspicions about Vector's behavior. Nevertheless, he walked back into his meditation room, like always.

Charmy stayed sitting down on the couch, but later walked to his room.

11:00 PM

Come on, Vector. Go to sleep.

Go to sleep, ya moron!

Vector struggled to go to sleep. His thoughts about Zavok were impossible to stop thinking about.

C'mon, Vector. That punk, Zavok, doesn't stand a chance once you train for five days straight. You can do this. You just gotta go to sleep and wake up as soon as you can.

He closed his eyes.

After a series of struggles, Vector finally fell asleep.

Day 2

6:30 AM

Vector, feeling terrible, pushed himself to wake up as early as he could. He slowly walked to the bathroom and threw the coldest water onto his face to wake himself up.

Shuddering, Vector wiped his face with a towel. He was now fully awake.

Vector quietly picked up the usual items he brings to the gym and walked to the door.

He opened it and closed it, seeing a slightly foggy morning. Vector inhaled, then exhaled.

"No more holdin' back."

[Michael Jackson - Unbreakable]

Once he was in the locker room, Vector put on his hand wraps and gloves. Stepping out of the locker room, he walked straight to the red punching bag.

"You."

Almost immediately, he started to practice his punching skills on the bag. The remark his friend made about Zavok held his concentration together.

"You can't believe it, you can't conceive it,

And you can't touch me, 'cause I'm untouchable,

And I know you hate it, and you can't take it,

You'll never break me, 'cause I'm unbreakable."

Then, he moved on to the reflex ball. At first, the ball hit him back every time, but as soon as he punched it more and more, he was steadily dodging the ball. Sweat started to appear on his face and body as the intensity of his training session went on. He could hardly believe that it was still the beginning of the day.

Minutes passed. Then, more minutes passed. After that, the hours started to fly like the wind.

Vector started off with jogging with the treadmill. He later picked up the pace and sped it up every once in a while. Once the treadmill got too fast for Vector, he almost fell off. He stepped on the side of the treadmill and stopped the belt.

Walking away from the treadmill with sweat running down his head, Vector stared at it. His next objective was to keep up with the speed.

His next piece of equipment was the speedball. With ease, Vector hit the ball over and over again, but not too fast.

The morning turned into the afternoon as a very tired Vector sat down at the bench. He was drenched with sweat.

"You're doin' great, Vector."

Ricky looked at the crocodile with a smile.

"Thanks."

"For that big ol' Zavok, make sure you take your days of training very seriously. He's a tough fighter, and you can be, too. In fact, you already are, but be better than him! Keep goin' and grow stronger!"

Vector smiled with determination. Those words suddenly made him lift up like a wilted plant in a rainstorm.

"Thank you, man. I'll make sure these days won't be wasted."

"That's more like it. Anyway, it's time for a lunch break, so I'm goin' out for a while."

Vector nodded as the gym owner walked out.

Soon enough, lunch break was over. Vector later did eat out, but once he went back to the gym, he continued his training.

Having a meal helped out a lot. Food gave Vector more energy to continue on.

He repeated his cycle of training. Every hour or more, Vector would switch equipment: punching bag, reflex ball, treadmill, and speedball. Sometimes, he would even lift various weights.

Vector would not stop until the gym closed. Once it did, he left back home.

"Time to head out, boys," Ricky announced.

Everybody stopped what they were doing and started to walk to their lockers.

Vector took a seat again with more and more sweat all over him.

"I need a shower," He chuckled.

He later stepped up and walked to his locker. Soon enough, everyone went home.

"Tomorrow's gonna be the same but better," Vector assured to himself.

As soon as he got home, Vector dropped his items and went straight to the bathroom.

Espio, instead of being in his room, was in the kitchen. After seeing Vector is his state, he started to think the fight was more serious than he thought.

A few minutes later, Vector stepped out of the bathroom as good as new. He then walked straight to his bedroom and rested for the rest of the night.

Day 3

Just like yesterday, Vector woke up and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He felt more awake than yesterday, but he still needed cold water to wake him up even more.

Picking up his belongings, Vector walked out of the office and headed straight to the gym.

Repeating the process of the day before, Vector used the equipment in the same order: punching bag, reflex ball, treadmill, speedball, and occasionally, weight lifting.

With time and concentration, Vector got better with everything. The punching bag was beaten up, Vector managed to dodge most of the reflex ball's movements, he got faster on the treadmill, and he went faster on the speedball.

The more Vector trained, the more determined he became. He thought of training as sweat, practice, and updates.

Lunch break arrived and left. Once he ate his meal, Vector went on to finish the day.

Punches, lifts, sprinting, sweating, strength, energy, reflex. With enough of everything, Vector was sure to beat a bigger opponent like Zavok.

The gym closed and everyone went home again. Vector took another shower and went to bed as soon as he came home. The new day awaited.

Day 4

Waking up with plenty of energy, Vector didn't even need to wash his face to wake himself up. He immediately left the house to go to the gym for the fourth day.

The days seemed to get Vector better and better at everything. He could finally outrun the treadmill, dodge every move on the reflex ball, hit the speedball as fast as he could with ease, and beat up the punching bag like nothing.

Everyone in the gym was astonished. They had never seen anyone grow in every category as much as Vector.

Sweat drops fell like rain, but that didn't stop the crocodile from getting any better.

After lunch break, Vector pursued with his workout. The day soon flew away like sand on a desert. Vector, once again, went back home, took a shower, and went to sleep.

Espio was amazed with the amount of dedication Vector had for his fight. He started to conclude that there was something Vector didn't tell him about it.

Day 5

Wake up, go to the gym, train, eat, train for the rest of the day, and walk home a better fighter. That was Vector's fifth day of his workout, but before he was finished with the day, a friend of his handed him a poster for the next day.

"Zavok versus Vector," Vector read aloud. "Tomorrow at nine PM. Thanks for the news."

Vector's friend nodded and walked away.

The gym closed again for the fifth day. Everyone went home, as usual. Vector walked back to the office, but stopped. He took out the poster from earlier and growled.

Tearing the side with Zavok on it, Vector threw the poster on the ground.

"Soon enough, you'll be outta this city, punk."

He walked away. Once he was out of sight, one of Zavok's allies stepped up, grabbed the poster, and ran away into the night.

Zavok was already making plans for the fight when his comrade came up to him with the torn poster.

"Vector, huh?"

He looked at the paper and laughed.

"He thinks he can win. What a dreamer. Tomorrow is his dead-end, for sure. I don't even have to worry about that small and weak reptile. I can just knock him out the first round."

Zavok put the poster away and continued what he was doing. His friend walked away, having second thoughts on Zavok's opinion. What if Vector could do the impossible?


	4. Doubts

Vector came back home for the end of his fifth day of training. Now, the big moment was tomorrow.

Espio was standing right in front of the door with a skeptical look.

"Why the face, Espio?"

"You haven't told me everything about this fight you're having."

Vector went silent. The last thing he wanted was for Espio to be worried.

"It's nothin' to worry about."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Huh?"

"You seem to be taking this fight very seriously. You've been gone the whole day for almost a week. What is making you so serious about this fight?"

At that moment, Vector decided to give up.

"Fine, Espio. I'll tell you why I'm takin' this seriously. If I lose, it will be the end of this city."

Espio's eyes filled with shock.

"Yeah, no surprise. This is why I didn't want to tell you, Espio! Now you're gonna be all worried and all that, and I really don't need any of it. Tomorrow is a big day and I have to give it all I got."

The room was silent. The two didn't even notice Charmy listening to the whole thing.

"And what if you're not good enough to beat Zavok?"

Vector already knew what would become of him if he lost.

"Then it's my fault."

Vector and Espio were both quiet for a really long time until the crocodile sighed.

"Good night, Espio. The fight's at nine at the arena."

He walked to his room. Espio looked down and closed his eyes.

"Espio?" Charmy said.

Espio just ignored him and walked back to his room.

Now it was just a very confused Charmy in the room.

"Can someone explain?"

Day 6

12:00 PM

Espio woke up, expecting Vector to be gone. He was right. He guessed that Vector went to the gym again, but didn't know why.

Remembering what Vector told him the day before, Espio knew that the fight was at nine. There was plenty of time before the fight. Maybe Vector warmed up for a couple of hours.

Whatever the reason was, Espio hoped that Vector would win. With the time he had, he finally told Charmy about everything that was going on.

"If Zavok wins," Espio explains to Charmy, "then the city will be no more. I mean, that's what Vector told me."

"Well, I think Vector can win!"

"I wish I had your confidence."

Vector and the boxers waited for an update about the fight. They thought that Zavok would later come by and tell them what was going to happen later on. It turns out they were right. Zavok stepped in with that same look he had five days ago.

"Alright, roaches. This fight will take place at nine, in case you all forgot. Vector, are you going to participate?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. Maybe you would get scared and change your mind."

"I ain't scared."

Zavok stared at his rival.

"You should be."

Vector gave him his signature cold stare.

"The fight will take place in this city's arena. You and your fighter will have to be there by seven. Got that?"

Nobody replied.

"Whatever. Make sure you don't have a change of plans," He taunted.

Zavok left the gym and vanished.

Soon after, the noise inside the gym reappeared.

"Vector's gonna beat him, and I know that for a fact!"

"Zavok won't stand a chance!"

"It's a simple victory for him!"

The whole gym supported Vector, and he liked that. However, he still thought about Espio. He seemed to think differently now that he knows about the bet.

Vector walked up to Ricky.

"I gotta go for now. I'll meet up with ya at nine."

"Alright, Vector. See you at winner's corner," He smiled.

Vector smiled back, but soon as he walked out of the gym, the smile faded away.

"Espio, you just gotta be like that now."

1:00 PM

Vector opened the door to the office to see Espio to be seated on the kitchen chair, looking out into the window. Espio looked back at Vector and then looked away.

"Look, Espio. I'm sorry I didn't tell ya about everythin'."

Espio did not reply.

"I just didn't want ya to be worried. C'mon, now. I hate to see you in a state like that."

"You should've told me earlier that the fight is for this city's sake. That's a big consequence if you lose this, Vector."

"Espio! I've been trainin' very hard for the past five days! I've got this!"

"And what if you actually don't?"

"That won't happen, Espio. I'm not just gonna be prepared for nothing. You worry too much."

"I worry for you and the city's safety. Not only will you get affected, but the whole city will also, too."

"Espio."

"I'm gonna win this, and I'll make sure I do my best just for you. You got that?"

Espio did not say anything.

"It's gonna be alright in the end. Trust me."

Vector patted Espio's shoulder, let go, and stood there for a while before starting to walk away.

"Remember the fight is at nine."

And with that, Vector walked up to his room.

Espio did not want to be worried any longer. Vector's arguments seemed to convince him not to not be concerned for any longer.

After thinking for a long time, Espio decided to give in. He started to think about being with Vector during the fight.

"Alright. I'll give in," He whispered to himself.


	5. Thoughts

4:00 PM

What if I lose?

What happens then?

Everyone will be disappointed.

The city will be destroyed because of me.

I'll let everyone down.

I'll let Espio down.

I'll let the boxers down.

I'll let myself down.

That won't happen. C'mon, Vector. You know better to think like that. Don't let your fear cloud your vision. You can do it.

I know you can.


	6. The Fight

7:45 PM

Waking up after his long nap, Vector looked at the time. He got up and walked to the front door.

On his way, he saw Espio in his room doing nothing but sitting there. He didn't see him, though. Vector didn't think much about it. He thought Espio wasn't going to the arena, so he continued walking.

"At least he can see me on the TV," Vector sighed.

He opened the door and left.

Taking a few steps away from the office, he stepped into the sidewalk to see the gym from a distance. The evening sky made it easier to see the illuminated building. When he looked farther out in the distance, he could barely see the arena. He smiled.

"Zavok, ready or not, here I come."

8:10 PM

Ricky and a close friend from the gym accompanied Vector, who was about to put on his gloves. The boxing gloves were red with one white stripe on it. It was a simple pattern for a huge event.

"Vector, you have visitors."

Vector put his gloves down and walked to the front of the arena to greet the unknown visitors.

At the entrance, Espio and Charmy unexpectedly walked towards the suprised crocodile.

"Espio? Charmy?" He was happy to see them but confused at the same time.

"We decided to come to support you!" Charmy cheered.

"Vector, I'm sorry I let the bad thoughts get to me. I guess I have to stop doubting so much. Therefore, I decided to move those out of the way to do the best thing a friend can do: be there."

Vector grinned at the poetic apology Espio gave him.

"Glad to see you've changed your mind, Espio."

"I am, too. Now, let's win this," Espio concluded.

"Of course."

Espio, Vector and Charmy smiled at each other. They knew that being together in one of their biggest moments was the right thing to do.

Then, the three walked into the back room where Vector prepared for his final fight.

Hand wraps, check. Boxing gloves, check. Hoodie, check. Determination?

Check.

Vector was so ready he felt like he could do anything. He and his crew stood behind the doors of the main auditorium, looking into the windows showing lots of people, lights, and the boxing ring itself.

Espio, smiling, tapped Vector's shoulder. Vector turned to the chameleon.

"Are you ready?"

"As much as you are," Vector answered. "Does this hoodie look weird on me?"

"No, but that doesn't really matter. The fight is what matters."

"Yeah, you're right."

Then, they heard Vector's name getting called out on the speaker.

"Here we go!" Charmy squealed.

The doors were pushed open and Vector and his crew walked quickly to the ring. The audience cheered as if a celebrity was in the building. Vector's group waved back at the spectators as they got farther into the auditorium.

The cheering was so loud Espio and Vector could barely hear each other yelling.

Eventually, the group all got into the ring and waved even more at the crowd.

Vector took off his hoodie and continued waving.

Then, the announcer called Zavok's name. Once the zeti and his team walked out of their doors, the audience dramatically changed from continuous cheer to horrifying booing.

Zavok, who completely ignored the booing people, set his eyes on Vector. Vector later saw Zavok and didn't worry much about it.

"That guy's mad," Vector joked to Ricky. He chuckled afterward.

As Zavok and his group got into the ring, he also took off his hoodie and kept his stare on the crocodile.

After a few minutes of awkwardness, the referee stepped in the ring with the announcer holding a microphone.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the ultimate fight that decides the fate of this city. I am your announcer, and we'll start this fight shortly."

The audience cheered.

"In the red corner, weighing 242 pounds, he's a very excellent detective, he's lean and green, he's the one and only Vector the Crocodile!"

Hearing, the volume of the clapping and cheering coming from the audience was unbelievable. Charmy and Espio covered their ears while Vector stood proudly, not giving a single care about the loudness.

The applause died down since the announcer spoke into the microphone.

"And in the blue corner, weighing 293 pounds, he's known as the former leader of the Deadly Six, he's very bloodthirsty, he's Zavok the Zeti!"

The cheer was no more. Booing and insults soon filled the arena. Zavok looked at everyone around him, not giving them a response. His only attention was on Vector.

Then, the two enemies stepped in the middle to meet up. Vector's golden eyes stared into Zavok's purple eyes.

"Alright, boys. This is gonna be a clean fight."

Vector already knew it was going to be the opposite of a clean fight.

"Watch your punches, stay in your corner once you knock your opponent until I tell you to come out. Got that?"

There was silence.

"Alright. You can touch hands and go back to your corners."

"Once I'm done with you, that hedgehog is next," Zavok threatened.

"You'll never be done with me," Vector replied.

Zavok slapped Vector's gloves down and walked back to his corner. Vector walked back to his corner as well.

The audience uplifted with applause, for they knew one of the biggest fights was about to go down.

"Vector! Give it all ya got! No mercy!" Ricky told him.

Vector nodded and waited for the bell.

DING

The fight began. Cameras looked toward both fighters for the television audience to look at. Everyone looked at the ring for a glimpse of the battle.

Vector and Zavok, both in their boxing positions, walked toward each other.

The first to throw a punch was Zavok. A small jab, then more jabs followed. Some hit, some didn't. He threw more punches at the crocodile, who stared at his rival. Once he had the chance, Vector threw his hands on the zeti.

A hard hook successfully landed on Zavok's face, then jabs to the body landed as well. Vector knew that body shots prevented opponents from breathing, which would make them weaker, so he concentrated to throw hard body punches to the ribs and gut.

The audience cheered in Vector's success. Zavok was in awe. He never would of expected Vector to get the best of him.

He had enough, as he tried to throw his hardest hit to the face.

But his hand just hit the air. Vector easily dodged Zavok's punch and continued to throw body punches. Zavok was defenseless the entire round. He could not hit Vector back even if he tried.

DING

The bell rang as Vector stopped throwing punches and walked back to his corner. The crowd cheered again for their city's warrior.

"I think it's obvious this round is Vector's," A commentator said.

"Good round, Vector!" Charmy screamed.

Espio winked at Vector. Vector smiled back.

Ricky entered the ring.

"That was great! Don't stop those body shots. Soon, he'll be as weak as a twig!"

Vector got his mouth rinsed with water as he was listening.

"Thanks. I'm givin' it my all now."

"But be careful! Zavok might have somethin' up his sleeve. Be prepared for a surprise attack!"

"Alright."

"What was that?! How could you let this reptile beat you up like that?!" Zavok's trainer scolded.

"That croc's unpredictable," Zavok protested.

"Don't let that happen again! You're only doing this to get rid of Sonic! You're not gonna let that little ol' crocodile get in your way! Move him out of your way! Obliterate him! Use all of your energy on him!"

"He's gonna lose. Calm down."

DING

"Go get 'em!"

"Remember, Vector. This is for the city! Keep goin' until he falls!" The gym owner told him.

Vector and Zavok stepped towards each other again for the second round.

Almost immediately, a jab was thrown by Vector. It landed right on Zavok's face. He stepped back from the force of the punch. More body hits followed. Zavok struggled to see where Vector was. The loud audience and Vector's swift movements prevented him from concentrating.

After taking lots of punches, Zavok growled and threw a random punch. It hit Vector's face, sending him a step back.

Vector did a cocky smile.

"That's it," He whispered.

Zavok threw more punches at the crocodile. As much as Vector tried avoiding them, he started to realize that hard punches are dangerous. One punch felt like a hammer.

As a series of punches continued to fly towards Vector, he quickly moved to the left and hit an accurate punch to Zavok's ribs.

Doing this made Zavok weak for a moment. It was enough for Vector to get back on the winning side.

Zavok, not being able to show his face, was furious. Repeating what he did earlier, he threw a random punch. It hit Vector again, but not as hard as the first time.

This just made Vector more merciless than he was. He went for hooks to the face, jabs to the ribs, and one final uppercut to Zavok's face.

Zavok's side that was hit by Vector's uppercut felt like it had been slammed by a shovel. The pain and dizziness from all of the hits he took caused the mighty Zavok to fall to the ground, which triggered the audience to cheer tremendously.

The referee moved Vector to his corner, went back to Zavok, and started counting.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

"Four..."

Zavok got up before the referee could count to five and grabbed his hands to tell him he was ready to fight again. Once he did, the referee walked away and let the fight continue.

When he was getting up, Zavok touched head and looked at his hand to reveal blood from a cut. Vector's uppercut left a bleeding cut on Zavok's face. Now, Zavok was angry.

"You're dead!"

"And you're wounded. Better watch out," Vector smirked.

Zavok growled and went for heavy punches on the crocodile.

Vector easily defended himself by punching Zavok multiple times, but Zavok actually hit some punches on the crocodile.

DING

Vector, smiling, walked confidently to his corner. Meanwhile, Zavok grumbled to his corner.

Reporters talked about how they've never seen a crowd so entertained before.

"You alright, Vector?" Ricky asked.

"Ah, don't ask me that now. That's way too early. Once the later rounds start, then I'll answer you."

Espio came into the ring.

"Vector, I never thought you could fight like that. Zavok looks helpless in there. Great job."

"Thanks, Espio. Keep in mind that I'm doin' this for you."

"Well, you've done better than I could even imagine. Don't give up, and carry on."

"I will. Thanks again."

And with that, Espio left the ring.

As he got behind the ring, Charmy tapped his back.

"What did you tell him, Espio?"

Espio chuckled.

"I told him how good he's doing right now."

"I figured," Charmy added.

"You idiot! How could you?!" Zavok's trainer enraged at the fact that Vector was winning.

"You came to this city to invade it! Not getting kicked out of it! You have to use all of your strength inside you on that pesky crocodile now!"

Zavok's cut on his head was being quickly treated by his assistants as his trainer screamed in his ear.

"He's going down," Zavok exhaled.

"Not with your state, he's not! Quit it with your tiredness! Don't let him beat your ribs like they're a punching bag! Take advantage of him! Sooner or later, you'll be on the ground, defeated. And I don't think you want that, do you?"

Zavok shook his head, too tired to reply.

"Okay, so unleash your power on him!"

DING

"He's yours! Go at 'em!"

"He's mine," Zavok repeated.

Vector and Zavok walked towards each other for the third round.

"Playtime's over, croc," Zavok growled.

Vector said nothing. He knew Zavok was mad, which meant a tougher fight.

Zavok jabbed Vector's chest and then went for a direct punch to the face. Missing the punch, Zavok flew forward. Vector moved to the left as Zavok tried to hit him and went for a punch to the ribs.

Soon, the foes both punched each other equally. Vector forced Zavok to step into one of the ring's corners to land easy shots on him.

Zavok knew what Vector was doing, so he went along with the plan. Against the ring's ropes, Zavok took some hits, but unexpectedly, he quickly moved around the crocodile and switched sides. Now, Vector was in the corner.

Zavok punched multiple times to the face. In fact, more punches he landed were to the head instead of the body.

After a couple of hits, Vector punched Zavok right in the middle of his head. Zavok finally stepped back away from his position, freeing Vector. They moved back into the middle of the ring.

In a fit of rage, Zavok threw a heavy punch to the crocodile's face. Vector stepped back and realized he was cut.

Revenge.

Vector was now feeling angry. He stepped back, dodged another heavy punch from Zavok, and landed harder body shots.

Zavok stepped back from all of the force from Vector's punches.

Making a successful hook to the face, Vector made Zavok's cut bleed even more. One stream of Zavok's blood slithered down to his chin area.

Seeing a fist flying straight towards his lower area, Vector used his arm to deflect Zavok's punch. This hurt, but he was glad it wasn't his ribs that took the pain.

Zavok pushed Vector against the ropes and fiercely punched over and over again. Using his arms, Vector avoided some hits, but most of them landed on his face and torso.

DING

The fighters walked to their corners, angrily looking at each other.

Ricky and two other assistants entered the ring to treat Vector's cut.

"Zavok's not gonna give up at any moment now. He's gonna hit you until you fall, but you're not gonna let that happen. You've gotta dodge his attacks. Punch his ribs. Don't let him breathe. Get him tired! As soon as he struggles to breathe, beat him as much as you can," Ricky instructed Vector.

"I know, Ricky. This fight might be a long one, though."

"Well, if it is a long fight, make it worth it."

"I will."

"That's right. Don't stop now."

By the time his cut was cleaned, bruising started to appear. This made Vector appear scarier and tougher.

"You're doing good, Zavok, but you just gotta do better. That crocodile's stamina is strong, so you have to beat him hard."

"I already am beating him hard."

"Then beat him harder! You're dying out there. You see that on your head?" Zavok's trainer pointed to his cut.

"That's a mistake. No more mistakes. I don't wanna see more of that on your face tonight. I wanna see more of that on that crocodile. You got that?"

Zavok nodded.

DING

"Be careful, Vector! Zavok's gonna come back stronger, so you've gotta make a bigger effort!"

Vector nodded and walked to the middle of the ring.

Eyes on their opponent, both of the fighters growled and threw punches at each other.

Soon, two rounds passed. Both opponents were beaten, but not to the point of giving up. The audience waited for one of the boxers to fall down and call it a night.

Round eight arrived. Vector and Zavok, with sweat and blood on their faces, kept the same face of threat towards each other.

The enemies lunged at each other. Vector dodged a hook and jabbed Zavok's ribs. Zavok punched Vector's face, making him go against the ropes, and started to throw multiple punches at the crocodile.

Vector moved out of the way and threw a hard punch to Zavok's body. Zavok groaned and stepped back as Vector hit his body even more.

Zavok became defenseless yet again. The crocodile kept punching at his ribs, preventing Zavok from breathing.

One last punch to the face sent the zeti to the floor for the second time. The audience once again cheered just like the last time Zavok fell.

The referee got in front of Zavok and began to count.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

"Four..."

"Five..."

"Six..."

"Seven..."

"Eight..."

Zavok got back up and grabbed the referee's hands. The referee walked out of the way to let the round continue.

Zavok was fuming over his struggle to win the fight. This time, Zavok decided to throw nothing but heavy punches for the rest of the fight.

He threw a fist to Vector's head, then to the body. Vector protected his ribs using his arm, but Zavok didn't stop punching. Soon, the pain in his arms became too great for him to handle.

Once Vector's arms dropped, Zavok dangerously punched his ribs.

From his point of view, Vector felt a great deal of pain come from his body every time a punch landed on it. No matter how much he wanted to move out of the way, he couldn't. Zavok had prevented him from dodging his attacks.

The last strong punch to his ribs was the strongest. Vector's eyes widened as he felt something coming out of his esophagus.

He knew something was terribly wrong.

Soon, blood spewed out of Vector's mouth. Afterward, he fell to the ground.

The audience gasped and started to chatter with confusion.

Charmy was yelling for Vector to get up, but on the other hand, Espio was silent. He was frozen with fear. Vector can't lose this. He just can't.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

"Four..."

With the pain spreading all over, Vector struggled to get on his feet.

"Five..."

Get up! What are you doin'?!

"Six..."

Don't throw this night away! Get up!

"Seven..."

That's right! Get up! Faster!

"Eight..."

Vector miraculously got back up and grabbed the referee's hands. The round continued. Zavok clenched his teeth in anger. He thought he already won.

Vector got back in the middle of the ring and took a jab to the face from Zavok. As soon as Zavok was about to throw another punch, Vector threw a hook to Zavok's body. Vector then punched in the middle of Zavok's face. This punch caused Zavok to have a nose bleed.

As Vector threw more shots to the body, Zavok visibly grew weaker.

DING

Vector slowly walked to his corner in both pain and exhaustion.

"Vector, you alright?" Ricky asked.

Vector just sat down and said nothing.

"You took quite a beating to your torso. Make sure that doesn't happen again, because that will affect your whole fight."

"Guy's tough," Vector groaned. He later spits some blood in a bucket.

Espio came into the ring to see his friend.

"Vector, please be more careful out there."

"I know, Espio."

"Zavok's at his peak, so you've got to be at yours, too. Go for the body and avoid punches at all costs."

"Got it," Vector said.

"You think you can breathe properly for the rest of the fight?" Ricky asked.

Vector inhaled and exhaled a couple of times.

"I think so," He answered.

"You got him to the floor, Zavok. Now, make sure he goes back for two more seconds."

"Oh, he will. Don't you worry about it."

"Are you sure? You fell too, fool."

Zavok turned to his trainer.

"What?"

"You fell again. Look at you. You have things on your face as that crocodile does. Change that."

Zavok turned back without a word.

DING

Rounds nine and ten passed. More blood appeared on the floor, and more rage from both of the fighters unleashed.

As round eleven started, Vector and Zavok just punched each other in hopes of winning.

Faces and chests were beaten and bruised. The round felt like it got slower over time. Vector felt like he was at his limit. Every round, he grew more tired. So did Zavok, but neither of them knew.

At the end of round eleven, Vector was punching Zavok's torso repeatedly. This did not make him fall the entire round. Soon, his hopes of getting a knockout were lost.

DING

Vector gasped for air as he walked back to his corner. He was not up for the last round at all.

"You're tired, Vector. Breathe," Ricky instructed.

"Ricky, I don't think I can do this," Vector admitted.

"What?"

"That Zavok ain't fallin' down. This fight's gonna end up bein' his."

Ricky was just silent.

"I've let you down."

Espio, hearing all of this, climbled into the ring.

"Vector, snap out of it!"

"Espio, I can't."

"Look, Vector. I didn't come to this fight to see you like this, and neither did you. You wanted to win. You wanted to prove to the city that you're strong enough to defend it, and you are. This fight isn't over yet. You can win this even if you seem like you're in a pickle. If you think you can knock him out, you can. You have one round left, and you have to make sure Zavok falls down for the final time. I know you can, do you?"

Vector, thinking about everything Espio told him, nodded.

"I'll... I'll give it my all this round. This round's for the city!"

DING

"That's more like it. Make him fall, Vector!"

Words work all of the time with Vector. He doesn't know why, but they just seem to lift him up at any situation.

As the bell rang for the last round of the biggest fight, Vector and Zavok stood in the middle of the ring for the twelfth time.

Zavok, with cuts and bruises on his face, stared at the crocodile with the same amount of wounds.

"This is the end," Zavok snarled.

Vector and Zavok stepped back and raised their arms. As they did, they knew this was their last chance of victory.

Then, Vector got an idea. A very clever, but risky idea.

As Zavok started to throw punches, Vector lowered his arms. This gave Zavok access to the crocodile's face.

Multiple punches were thrown to Vector's face, but he made sure to protect his body.

Zavok just gave up his energy to punch until he got too tired.

"What are you doin'?! Protect your face!" Ricky yelled.

Vector ignored him and took several beatings to his head. Zavok punched and punched, but soon, he started to get slower.

Zavok was tired. He began to try to breathe, but he constantly got interrupted by trying to punch the crocodile.

As his fists got slower and weaker, Vector stared his eyes into Zavok's. He growled and cocked his arm.

"This is for the city!"

Vector threw a very hard hook to Zavok's face, sending him backward. He lunged towards his opponent and beat his torso.

The audience started to cheer loudly and began to chant Vector's name.

Ribs, ribs, ribs, ribs! Vector kept throwing his fists as hard as he could. Then, Zavok's arms dropped. Vector saw this, and knew Zavok was beginning to get too tired and weak to stand for any longer.

Sweat trickled down his head, but Vector ignored this and threw his last punches on the zeti.

"That's it! Go for it!"

For every punch, Vector made sure it was painful.

A hard hook to the left ribs. A hard hook to the right ribs. A hard jab to the gut.

And finally, one last uppercut to the face.

At last, Zavok fell to the ground for the third time.

The audience applauded with such a volume that nobody could hear anything they said to each other no matter how close they were. After a few seconds, they got quiet to see what would happen next.

Vector was out of breath. He had to lean against the ropes to wait for the referees counting that determined if the city was safe or not.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

"Four..."

"Five..."

"Six..."

"Seven..."

The zeti struggled to get up.

"Eight..."

"Come on! Please!" Charmy yelled.

"Nine..."

Vector suddenly froze.

Everything seemed to go silent.

Please.

Let it happen.

"Ten! You're out!"

Cheers and screams multiplied. After twelve long and brutal rounds, Vector finally knocked his opponent down.

Vector fell on his knees, with his eyes closed, and raised his arms.

"Yes!!!"

Espio, Charmy, Ricky, reporters, men with cameras, and many more people came into the ring. The match was over, and people knew that their city's warrior had won.

Zavok was pulled back to his side by his trainer, who cursed like a sailor to him.

Vector was helped up by his teammates. He looked at Charmy and Espio with his wounded face and smiled. Then, they all hugged knowing their city was safe.

Eventually, the two fighters were moved to the middle of the ring to announce the obvious winner.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the biggest boxing match in the history of our city is over, and by a knockout, the winner of this grand fight is..."

"Vector the Crocodile!"

Vector's arm was then raised by the referee.

The audience once again cheered with joy. Zavok, one of the biggest threats to the city, had lost. Because of that, he now has to leave the city. Forever.

Vector and his friends were soon escorted out of the arena after the announcement was finished talking, which took a while.

As they walked back to where they came from, Vector looked at Espio.

"We did it."

Espio looked back and pointed to Vector.

"You did it."


	7. Remember

Two days later

Vector, still showing signs of a recent fight, came inside the arena alone. He was wearing his black jacket to keep his profile low. Now that he had gotten the city's attention, the media wanted him to speak. He didn't want to, and wished to be left alone.

As he stepped inside the arena, he got into the ring and leaned against his corner.

Vector looked up. The lights, for whatever reason, were still on. Odd. As empty and quiet as the arena was, you'd think that the lights would be shut off.

Vector looked at his hands. They were the fists that successfully defended his city and he was a little proud.

"All of that," A voice said, "for me?"

Vector quickly turned to the door and was rather surprised. Sonic the Hedgehog stood there with a look of confusion.

"Sonic? Where'd you come from?"

"I don't think that matters, Vector," Sonic said as he suddenly appeared beside the crocodile, "I just wanna know something. Why did you make tuis fight a reality?"

Vector knew the answer.

"Sonic, I did this for both you and my city's safety."

"Well, you pulled this off. Congrats."

"Thank you," Vector smiled.

"I kicked that zeti out for ya. They didn't wanna leave, because apparently, they didn't want to take a bet someone made."

"I made that bet," Vector chuckled.

"You did? Huh. You sure can gamble."

"It was worth it, I can tell ya that."

Sonic smiled.

"Thanks again, Vector. Your bravery saved me from another war with the Deadly Six."

"Friends are always there for each other."

And with that, Sonic left the arena. Vector staye where he was at for a couple of minutes and later left as well.

A month after the fight between Zavok, a big mural was made in Ricky's gym to dedicate the bravery and risk Vector took for the city. Today, the mural still shows and described the events that took place that day.

Vector later retired from boxing to continue being a detective alongside Espio and Charmy. Sometimes, Vector likes to tell this story to his friends to remember what he did for Sonic and his home town.

Years later, Charmy is still astonished with Vector's story.

"I still can't believe that was four years ago!"

"I can't either. Soon, it'll be ten years," Vector said.

Vector looked up at their shelf to see a box layered with dust. He picked it up and put it on his desk.

He opened the box to reveal the same pair of boxing gloves he wore that night.

"These, Charmy, are the gloves that defeated Zavok."

"Really?"

"Yep. To be honest, I don't even know if I'm supposed to keep these or not."

"I think you should keep them. It's a nice way to remember."

"I agree. Hey Charmy, maybe you could be a boxer one day."

"Nah. I like being a detective better."

Vector chuckled.

"Alright then. It's your choice."

Charmy later walked to his room to take a nap. After staring at the box that contained his gloves, Vector closed it and placed it back to where it originally was.

Vector then opened his desk cabinet and looked in the back. He found the same pictures that motivated him to start the fight. As he pulled the photos out, he looked at the one of his friend, Pete.

After observing it, he smiled and looked up.

"I also did this for you, Pete. I miss you, buddy," He whispered.

Vector shed a tear and grinned.

He grabbed the picture of Pete and placed it inside of the box with his gloves. Now, for the next time he opens it, he'll remember everything he did for Pete, Sonic, and the city.


End file.
